Is Jeremiah Smith eligible for NFL draft? Age, stats, recruiting ranking for star Ohio State WR
Every so often, there’s a college football player whose otherworldly excellence is apparent from the moment they first step on a field.
This year, fans across the country have gotten to enjoy that kind of phenom.
In his first season of college football, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has been a revelation. A top-ranked recruit in the 2024 class, Smith arrived in Columbus with enormous expectations and has not only matched them, but perhaps exceeded them.
He has been a crucial player for the Buckeyes throughout the season, but his biggest impact has come in recent weeks as his team has played in its most important games. In College Football Playoff victories against Tennessee and Oregon, he has 290 receiving yards and four touchdowns while routinely making highlight-reel-worthy plays.
In Ohio State’s game against Texas Friday in the Cotton Bowl, perhaps no player will be more closely watched than Smith.
His prodigious success has naturally drawn attention from those outside college football. Given what he has been able to accomplish at such an early stage of his college career, what might await him at the NFL level? And when will he be able to get there?
Heading into Friday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal, here’s a closer look at Smith and when he can leave for the NFL:
Is Jeremiah Smith eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft?
No, Smith is not eligible for the 2025 NFL Draft. Unlike college basketball, in which the top prospects can bounce for the NBA after a single season, freshmen in college football are not eligible to move on to the NFL, meaning Smith will remain at Ohio State beyond this season.
When is Jeremiah Smith eligible to enter the NFL Draft?
Smith will be eligible to enter the NFL draft after his third season of college football, which will mean he can declare for the 2027 NFL Draft at the earliest.
The NFL stipulates that in order to be eligible for the draft, a prospect must have been out of high school for at least three years and used up their eligibility before the start of the next college football season. Underclassmen and players who have graduated before exhausting all of their college eligibility “may request the league’s approval to enter the draft early.”
Here are the full requirements and benchmarks that a player must reach in order to be eligible for the NFL draft, according to the NFL:
- Must have been out of high school for at least three years and must have used up their college eligibility before the start of the next college football season.
- Underclassmen and players who have graduated before using all their college eligibility may request the league’s approval to enter the draft early.
- Players are draft-eligible only in the year after the end of their college eligibility.
- Underclassmen have until seven days following the national championship game to declare for the draft.
How old is Jeremiah Smith?
Born on Nov. 29, 2005, Smith is 19 years old.
Jeremiah Smith stats
In his just freshman season, Smith has been one of the most productive players on a loaded Ohio State team this season.
Heading into Friday’s game against Texas, Smith has 70 catches for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 17.5 yards per reception. Smith additionally has five carries for 52 yards and a rushing touchdown.
His receiving yardage and touchdown totals are not only team highs, but the most among Big Ten players. He’s sixth among all FBS players in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdown receptions.
Jeremiah Smith 247Sports
Coming out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, Smith was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall player nationally in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.
He was the first player since 2012 listed by the website as a wide receiver to earn the No. 1 national ranking in his class. Travis Hunter, who went on to play wide receiver in college, was the No. 1 player in the 2022 class, but was listed as a cornerback.